bath landmarks
The Assembly Rooms
The Upper Assembly Rooms were built between 1771 and 1772.
Balls were held there on Mondays and Thursdays and musical concerts on Fridays.
They were popular and busy.
Most of the chandeliers that hang there today are from the original build, and were crafted by local chandelier makers in Bath.
The atmosphere in the crowded rooms at social events would have been hot and stuffy with all the candles necessary for the lighting, plus three coal fires in the ballroom and three in the tearoom.
There were two card rooms, and the tearoom served a buffet with cakes and sandwiches, tea and wine.
The ballroom musicians would sit in the gallery to leave the full space on the floor for the dancers.
A Master of Ceremonies would introduce attendees to one another if they were not acquainted and mark their dancing cards so that they could dance with one another.
The Bath Assembly Rooms are today owned by the National Trust. A new visitor attraction is being constructed to bring them to life again as they would have been in their Georgian heyday. They are currently closed and set to reopen in 2027.
Further details can be found on the National Trust website here.
The Pump Rooms
The Pump Rooms were where people went to drink the water from the King's Spring.
It was said to be very beneficial to their health and you can still sample the water today. It comes out slightly warm and rich in minerals to give it a strong and unusual taste.
Building work on the Pump Rooms began in 1789 and took ten years for full completion. It was one of the most fashionable sites to be seen in, and visitors promenaded around the room chatting to one another and getting noticed.
New arrivals to the city wrote their name in the Visitors Book, where people could peak to see if someone they hoped to meet was in town. Musicians entertained the hoards of visitors every day from the music gallery.
Today the Pump Room is a restaurant specialising in Bakery, Brunch and Afternoon Tea.
To make a booking you can find details on the The Pump Room Bath website here.
sydney gardens
This was an important place in the city where people gathered for outdoor entertainment and events. It was very close to the Austen's first home at 4, Sydney Place and they could see it from their drawing room windows.
The various attractions on offer in the gardens included bowling greens, bands and pathways for pedestrians and horses. A large labyrinth maze stood in the middle and the entrance fee was sixpence, or you could buy a monthly pass. This lawns, trees and flowers were kept neat and tidy and the newly constructed Kennet and Avon canal flowed through its midst.
For special occasions, such as the king's birthday or military victories, there would be illuminations and firework parties.
You can find out more on the Visit Sydney Gardens webpage from Bath and North East Somerset Council here.
a.h. hale chemist
In 1803, when Mrs Austen was living in Sydney Place, she became very ill. She was treated by the local apothecary at the end of Pulteney Bridge, called Mr. Bowen. Today the shop belongs to A.H. Hale and is proud of its long history and associations not only with the Austens, but with Queen Charlotte too.
When she recovered, Mrs Austen wrote a poem to praise the work of her apothecary, Mr Bowen, and a copy of it is still on display in the shop.
You can learn more about this interesting place and see the poem on the Bath Newseum website here.
St. swithin's church, walcot
On 26th January, 1805, Mr George Austen was laid to rest here in the crypt, near to the door leading to the graveyard. He was 73 years old, and his burial service was attended by his sons, James and Henry. Although Mr Austen had suffered frail health over the previous winter, his rapid decline in only 48 hours was a great shock to his family.
Mr and Mrs Austen had been married on the same site in 1764, although this building was a newer church to the one in which they were wed.
In recent years, Mr Austen's grave has been moved outside into the church grounds where it can be seen more easily from the roadside.
Interestingly, alongside Mr Austen's tomb lies the grave of one of his favourite authors, Frances Burney, who was also buried here in 1840. You can learn more on Bath-Heritage.co.uk here.
You can also see the connections between the Austen family and Frances Burney from the Jane Austen's House webpage here.
jane austen festival
Every year in September, the city of Bath holds a 10-day festival paying tribute to Jane Austen and the history of Regency England. There is a range of events across the city and it is extremely popular, attracting thousands of visitors from around the world.
If you are not able to attend in person, you can follow events from afar. To download a brochure and access the Jane Austen Festival site, click here.
bath landmarks extract
If you would like to read an extract from The Austens of Bath that takes place in one of these landmarks click here.
REFERENCES
Hill, C. (1901) Jane Austen: Her Homes and Her Friends. dodopress.co.uk: Dodo Press. pp. 67-89.
Le Faye, D. (2013) ‘1805: January 26, Saturday’ in A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p.306.
Townsend, T. (2015) Jane Austen and Bath. Somerset: Halsgrove.
Wilkes, S. (2014) 'Jane Austen and Bath III: The Pump Room' in A Visitor's Guide to Jane Austen's England. Available at:https://visitjaneaustensengland.blogspot.com/2014/10/jane-austen-and-bath-iii-pump-room.html